Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pan. Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Bring soup to simmer. Mix in whipping cream. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cider cream. Top with chives.

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This is one of those recipes that hits it on all points. Weeknight luxury, fancy dinner party pre-meal, peasant fare by the fire. Little effort with huge results. I made it for a bridal shower and topped the cider cream with maple and sea salt pumpkin seeds. RAVING women around the table, and I didn't break a sweat.

To Amazerin: What vinegar? Did you use apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider? A friend of mine adds a can of pumpkin puree to this soup to add depth and flavour. I haven't tried that addition but will next time.

You have to really like apple cider to like this soup. I reduced the vinegar and used only one green apple based on some of the reviews but I still felt that the cider overwhelmed the taste of the squash. I will go back to a more traditional recipe so I can actually taste the sweetness of the squash. And I like vinegar! YIKES

Good as written, but excellent with a couple changes: Substitute one of the apples for a yellow onion (put in at beginning with butter). Result is a bit more savory than sweet. I'd recommend cutting out about half the butter and whipping cream to make this significantly healthier with no effect on taste.

Love this! My first time making soup and it turned out beautifully. Easy recipe, however, next time I will use pre cut squash as chopping squash is time consuming. Added perk- the house smelled amazing for days.

I just love this soup. I do not however like butternut squash very much. It is tasteless most of the time unless you get it from a local farm that didn't force it with fertilizers and pesticides. I used a beautiful, organically-grown, heirloom-variety pumpkin. Oh yeah, baby. Just cut that sucker in half, rub the cut surface with olive oil and roast in until it's good and soft. Sweet, savory, creamy, eat-it-with-a-freakin-spoon-straight-from-the-roasting-pan good.
I use vegetable broth too. Why meat-cessorize an otherwise vegetarian recipe?
Last mod I make it to use escallion instead of leeks. Less work, more flavor (especially for you that think this soup is too sweet), and I nearly aways have everything I need to make it on hand. Boom. Done.
I love using a craft cider in this recipe. I am pretty sure they just want me to use plain ol' apple cider that you heat up in the microwave with a cinnamon stick in it and serve to your kids, but the dry cider makes this sing. Sort of like the difference between adding wine and Welch's grape juice to your pasta sauce.
Serve this to your family with a toasted cheese sandwich to dip in it, to your girlfriends for lunch, or as the soup course at a fancy dinner. I'm so serious, everyone will think you are a cooking genius and want to come live with you.
For another day, if you really want to blow some minds, add lavender to your soup. Flowers or essence. Be careful; if you add too much it'll take like soap. Add just the right amount and you have Heaven.

Loved this soup! Looked beautiful and tasted rich and satisfying. I used only one apple and 2 lb squash already cut up from Whole Foods. Made the process easier. The cider cream is key--don't skip! Definitely will make again.

I have made this soup many, many times, and it is one of my fall standbys. The first few times I followed the recipe exactly and loved it. Now I know that it is a very forgiving recipe, and I make shorcuts whenever possible. I use frozen carrots, applesauce if I don't have apples, and recently even tried using thawed frozen "winter squash" from the grocery store. This squash is cheaper and much less labor. Even this didn't do anything negative to the soup - the flavor was basically the same, although the color was a bit redder. I added the thawed squash when I added the apples.
I also always add 1 tsp. cinnamon and a few dashes of fresh nutmeg at that point. One of my favorite soups by far!

Definitely the weakest part of Christmas dinner. Until adding the apples and apple cider, this smelled amazing. But the apples threw this soup's flavors out of whack, making it too tart, too sweet, and not nearly savory enough. If we were to make this again, I think we'd add only one apple and possibly no cider at all, but for the cider cream.

I've made this soup
many times now as it
has become part of
the repertoire in my
traditional holiday
menu. I usually use
hard cider, although
it's very good
either way. It's
nice to do so much
of it ahead of time.
It is perfectly
sublime as written,
but I have cut back
on the fat when it's
not for company by
using non-stick
spray instead of
butter, non-fat
evaporated milk
instead of cream,
and non-fat sour
cream instead of
regular. It turns a
superb soup into a
healthy, tasty one.

I am very disappointed with this recipe. I read the reviews before deciding to make this but it did not live up to my ideas. I found it to be unbalanced and not very savory. I will not make it again. It has given me some ideas - so at least I have a starting point. No apples - maybe some potato and certainly more savory flavor.

With 293 reviews already submitted, did
I really to add another? YES! This
soup is outstanding. I used only 2
lbs. of squash, since that was what
came in the package and substituted
vegetable broth for the chicken. I
hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

This was my first time making this soup and I thought it was incredible! I followed the recipe with the exception of using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and onions instead of leeks. I will make this often in the fall and winter, but in a reduced quantity! It's definitely restaurant quality and tastes like Thanksgiving in a bowl!

Excellent, healthy soup sans butter...use olive oil. I have made this numerous times and it's always a success. The cider cream is easy to make and a must to take this soup to gourmet level. I use one apple instead of two as I think the apple can be overpowering, especially Granny Smith. A Gala, Fuji or Braeburn is better. Great for a special occasion and the leftovers are just as good.

Yum. I didn't have cider or apple juice but I did have apple/raspberry juice. Took a chance & the results were great. Used it in the soup and, reduced as per recipe, for the sour cream topping. Put in a bit of curry, as another reviewer suggested. Added a couple cloves of garlic to soup and, also as mentioned by others, added salt and pepper. Used chicken stock.Had a single small apple of some unknown denomination. Prelude to main course last evening. I'm looking forward it for breakfast!

Made this one night and fell in love with it. My husband even enjoyed it and he really dislikes sour cream (I've put a quarter cup in mashed potatoes for 8 people and he complained about the taste of it!). But sitting down with a nice bowl of this soup and some bread to swish around all that delicious cider cream is just so cozy!

I made this for a potluck lunch at work (needed to impress the crowd as we are a bunch of foodies). It was a HIT and not a drop left! I doubled the recipe and to make it easy, just roasted the squash rather than peeling as recommended by others. I also made the toasted Gruyere croutons to serve with the soup which is a perfect addition.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Winter-Squash-Soup-with-Gruyere-Croutons-2997

This recipe was very
tasty. As the other
reviewers suggested,
I also roasted the
squash first, but
because of the
comments about
needing a flavor
boost and so much
salt, I gave the
butternut a little
bath in coconut oil
before roasting.
Definitely a great
flavor boost!
After sauteing
the veggies, I added
the cider and let it
simmer down until
almost evaporating
before adding the
broth (veggie
broth).
As others stated,
the cider cream was
delicious!
Definitely a must
have.
I served it with
some crispy Parmesan
french bread that I
made under the
broiler.
This was really
delicious and I will
certainly make it
again.

Absolutely fabulous! The cider
cream just makes it exquisite.
Everyone I served it to requested a
copy of the recipe, and seconds!
The only change I made was to only
use 1 tsp of dried thyme (not 1
1/2). I might try vegetable stock
next time, though or half chicken stock & half vegetable to bring out the squash flavor a little bit more. I'll update you if
I do.